How to Order.vp

122

PREPARATION OF SCHOOL LEADERS

The Process of ISLLC/ELCC Standards Implementation in School

Leadership Preparation Programs

Crystal Machado and Daniel H. Cline

RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY

To remain viable, organizations need to align themselves to their changing environment
(Weber, 1999). Theoretical endeavors to study the complexities of change have spanned
generations. Over the last two decades studies have analyzed the change process itself
(Foulkes, 2003; Fullan, 2000; Hart & Fletcher, 1999; McNaught, 2003), its principles (Hall &
Hord, 2006), stages and characteristics (Akmal & Miller, 2003; Hagerott, 2004; Twadell,
2003) and the factors that affect change (Berg, Csikszentimihalyi & Nakamura, 2003; Hearn,
1996; Martin, 2000). There is wide agreement in the literature that effective change is
characterized by good planning (Akmal & Miller, 2003; Hagerott, 2004; Kotter, 2000;
Twadell, 2003); and assessment and adaptation to internal and external forces (McNaught,
2003; Rowley & Sherman, 2001).
A major challenge facing professors of education administration is the task of designing
programs that bridge the gap between theory and practice (Grogan & Andrews, 2002) and
prepare school leaders and policy makers who can respond to the ever changing needs of
American society (Price, 2004). Significant reform initiatives of the last decade is
development and implementation of the Interstate School Leadership Licensure Standards
(ISLLC). Researchers and scholars have examined the perceived impact that this standards-
based reform movement has had on the performance of school leaders in the field
(Boeckmann, 1999; Coutts, 1997; Holman, 2005; Markley, 2004; Pope, 2004; Ray, 2004;
Reeber, 2003; Sumpter, 2004; Thorns, 2002). However, there is a dearth of reported literature
that describes and evaluates the use of standards as a basis for program improvement.
Standards implementation is an ongoing process; a better understanding of the process,
identification of the different action steps that were taken, and the perceived effectiveness of
different strategies could add to our knowledge base and ensure that subsequent alignment
efforts are conducted more efficiently (Machado, 2008).
Our study was guided by the following research questions:

1. What was the process by which school leadership preparation programs were
   aligned with the ISLLC and/or ELCC standards?


2. Which strategies were used to align programs with the standards? How did
   faculty rate the effectiveness of the identified strategies?


3. Did accreditation status, affiliation status or Carnegie classification status
   contribute to group differences in the strategies identified as most useful?

Crystal Machado, Arkansas State University
Daniel H. Cline, Arkansas State University